When I finished the third grade as a young boy in public school, my parents decided to send me to a private school. I was in a carpool with other students, some going to the grade school where I attended, while others were dropped off at a nearby high school of the same caliber.

It wasn’t so much that I no longer went to school with my neighborhood friends where I was most familiar with the teachers in the community I called home. It was that I was to repeat the third grade. My parents told me that repeating the grade again would offer me the best start to an education of merit. In my eyes, I had failed. It was challenging to think that everyone would figure I wasn’t smart enough to progress to the next grade. I didn’t look forward to that school year.

As school gets started once again this year, not all of us will be looking forward to what is to come. There will be joy and excitement mixed with apprehension and weary anticipation for both school students and adult learners. What can be expected across the board are two considerations: that something new is ahead to learn and how important it is to embrace your inner strength; our focus this month.

Hi I’m Byron Darden with this edition of Leading with Purpose on Purpose. In this month’s blog we will be exploring what it means to be going back to school for all us in one way or another. It is my hope that you will take a step back and recognize that even uncertainty can be met with excitement as we learn new things about ourselves and one another and perhaps have just a little more compassion for those around us who need additional support on this new school year journey. Enjoy!

Welcome to From Classroom to Boardroom: The Leadership Lessons of Back-to-School Season